Galal El-Behairy
Poet
Egypt
“Each one of us loves their country and each one of us fears for their country. However, each one of us has a personal vision that does not contradict the country’s interest.”
— Galal El-Behairy
On February 26, 2018, a month prior to Egypt’s presidential election, exiled Egyptian musician and activist Ramy Essam released the song Balaha. The song featured lyrics written by El-Behairy that criticized the current state of the economy and levels of corruption. The release of the song was a courageous action for all those involved in its creation because dissidents, especially free speech activists, were being harshly persecuted, prompting many artists to self-censor to avoid persecution. Notable in their willingness to speak their personal truth despite the risk of persecution, the artists behind Balaha have gained both positive and negative international acclaim. Speaking about Balaha, Essam stated, “We wanted to start a dialogue about where Egypt is now and where it could be. Our art is not created to make people fight. It is music, it is how we feel. It is a song.”
Courtesy of The Voice Project.
El-Behairy had planned to release his latest book of poetry, The Finest Women on Earth (خير نسوان الأرض) in 2018. According to Galal, the book is his testament to “the value of women and of their good deeds in this world.” He focused on the strength and perseverance of women in Egypt, who he feels face unique pressures while ultimately being responsible for the success of the men who make up the majority of the country’s workforce. In an addendum on the back cover of the book, he admonished the current public attitude in Egypt regarding terrorism and conflict plaguing the Arab World. He condemned the silence surrounding events of recent decades as counter to the valor, honor, and respect he was taught from a young age. Despite having permission to publish the book and having already printed the first edition, El-Behairy was never able to release the book. The book’s publisher, Dar Da’ad Publishing and Distribution, terminated their contract with El-Behairy and publicly stated that the press’s agreement to publish the work did not imply its agreement with the book’s content. In a statement of defense of this book of poetry, El-Behairy wrote, “Each one of us loves their country and each one of us fears for their country. However, each one of us has a personal vision that does not contradict the country’s interest.”
Despite the conciliatory statement made around both the release of the music video and the publication of the book, pro-state media quickly initiated a smear campaign against both Essam and El-Behairy. Two days after the release of Balaha, on February 28th, Egyptian Minister of Culture Enas Abdel Dayem publicly denounced El-Bahairy on live television, specifically noting the book of poetry, The Finest Women on Earth. Three days later, on March 3rd, El-Behairy was arrested and his family did not know of his whereabouts for a full week until he appeared before the High State Security Prosecution. He exhibited signs of severe beating and torture, and the Prosecution ordered him to undergo a forensic medical examination, however, the findings of the examination have yet to be shared with either the public or his lawyer. Galal was told he was facing charges by the Military Court involving both content of his yet to be released book and the lyrics of Balaha, for their criticism of the current government. In addition to the military court case, Galal was investigated by the high state-security prosecutor in a second case. Charges against him include being a member of a terrorist group, spreading false news, the abuse of social-media networks, blasphemy, contempt of religion and insulting the military.
Galal was tried by a military court under Case 4/2018 without guarantees of fair trial standards, and sentenced to three years in prison on 31 July 2018 for “insulting the military institution and its symbols”, in relation to his published poetry. On January 24, 2019, Galal, along with four other political prisoners, started a hunger strike to commemorate the 2011 Egyptian revolution and protest the injustice that remains in the country. On April 25, 2019, Galal was conditionally released from the Civilian Court case that he faced because of his art. He completed his prison sentence on 21 July 2021. Yet, instead of releasing him according to the law, Egyptian authorities forcibly disappeared Galal from August 16 to September 5, 2021. He was then added to a third case, Case 2000/2021, with the same charges as the first case and ordered him into pretrial detention again.
On March 5, 2023 he began a hunger strike to mark 5 years of his detention in Egypt. UN human rights experts called for his release and stated, “We are alarmed at the arrest and alleged ill-treatment of Mr. El Behairy which appears to be related solely to the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of artistic expression and creativity.”
Galal attempted suicide in prison by consuming sedatives on September 9, 2023, after having been imprisoned for over 5 years. He was treated in hospital and survived the suicide attempt. Galal started his second hunger strike on September 3, 2023, which marked 2 years of his arbitrary detention after serving his original 3-year sentence.
On 17 November 2024, Egyptian poet Galal and his family members were subjected to invasive body searches after their visit to Badr 1 prison, to which he objected. In response, a prison officer threatened to take him to the torture room, which has no cameras in prison Badr 3 and ‘do whatever he wants with him.’ Galal is also suffering from a tumour in his mouth, which is causing difficulty in swallowing and requires urgent medical intervention. However, prison authorities continue to deny him access to medical care.
“We wanted to start a dialogue about where Egypt is now and where it could be. Our art is not created to make people fight. It is music, it is how we feel. It is a song.”
— Ramy Essam
Galal El-Behairy remains in detention under the High State Security’s charges of terrorist affiliation, the dissemination of false news, abuse of social media networks, blasphemy, contempt of religion, and insulting the military. During his lengthy imprisonment, Galal hasn’t stopped writing. He wrote a poem entitled A Letter from Tora Prison that Perpetuum Mobile’s Artists at Risk (AR) program published with a number of PEN centers—including Danish PEN, English PEN, Finnish PEN, French PEN, German PEN, Norwegian PEN, PEN America, Swedish PEN– to draw attention to the case. In the poem, El-Behairy expresses his belief in collective action and hope for a freer Egypt in the future:
“I take my country in my arms
and talk to her
about all the prisoners’ lives… out there
beyond the prison’s borders,
beyond the jailer’s grasp,
and about man’s need… for his fellow man,
about a dream
that was licit
and possible,
about a burden
that could be borne
if everyone took part in it.”
In advance of the delayed verdict, the Perpetuum Mobile Artists at Risk program began an online petition to the Egyptian Minister of Justice, Minister of the Interior, Public Prosecutor, and Military Public Prosecutor calling for the release of Galal El-Behairy. The petition can be signed online by anyone and everyone. Additionally, a coalition of organizations–including several PEN centers, the Perpetuum Mobile Artists at Risk program, Safemuse, and Freemuse–released an open letter calling for all charges against El-Behairy to be dropped in both the Military Court and the High State Security Court. The demands of the letter include the fair treatment and safety of El-Behairy and his family while he remains in detention, as well as for the institution of the right to free expression in Egypt.
UPDATE: September 5, 2023 marks two years of his arbitrary detention after serving his 3 years sentence. Galal has started another hunger strike.
UPDATE: On 1 June 2023, Galal abstained from drinking water. Shortly after, he had to be hospitalized for urgent medical assistance.
UPDATE: March 5, 2023 he began a hunger strike to mark 5 years of his detention in Egypt.
UPDATE: November 27, 2020 marks 1000 days since his arrest.
UPDATE: On April 25, 2019, Galal El-Behairy was conditionally released from the Civilian Court case that he faced because of his art. However, he remains imprisoned, serving the 3 years sentence in prison given to him by a military court because of his unreleased book of poetry The Finest Women on Earth.
By Charlotte Foreman. Charlotte is an undergraduate studying Written Arts and Russian at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, NY. She is grateful for her freedom to learn and create and aspires to help others preserve that same right.